Sunday, April 26, 2009

Review & Photos : Jamie Stewart @ The Compound

The most neglected show in Austin this last Tuesday night was more than likely the best one around town. With a number of more well-known acts playing at the same time in the same city, it is no surprise that the numbers in attendance for Jamie Stewart's solo show were low. The endearing thing about those in attendance is that they were not really the casual Xiu Xiu fans, but those who wanted to see the man who started it all play the songs from his ever-expanding songbook, and even some new ones. The older Xiu Xiu songs Stewart chose to play sounded as good as ever in their stripped down form as played on his electric guitar, a stylophone, various whistles, and his voice. Next door, Spoon was playing to a sold-out crowd at the Scoot Inn, and the sound creeping over to The Compound threatened to ruin the evening for everyone attempting to enjoy Stewart's quiet set, but I think everyone was too absorbed in his songs to pay attention to the noise coming in over the fence. The new songs Stewart played sounded just as good, if not better than what he has released in the past years and they will probably be even better recorded. We'll see, because the new album should be coming out sometime this year or the next. Hopefully sooner than later, because we can't wait.